Aqueduct: See the fields for Saturday's 4 graded stakes

Aqueduct hosts four graded stakes on Saturday, including the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap and qualifiers for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.

Señor Buscador tops stacked 12-horse field in Cigar Mile

Joe R. Peacock Jr.’s dual graded stakes-winner Señor Buscador will cut back sharply in distance as he headlines a talented 12-horse field in the Cigar Mile, a one-turn test for 3-year-olds and up.

Trained by Todd Fincher, Señor Buscador enters from a seventh-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. With Geovanni Franco up, Señor Buscador rallied from last of 12 and well off the pace to finish 5 1/4-lengths back of the victorious White Abarrio.

“He ran really good in the Breeders' Cup,” Fincher said. “He just got way, way back, almost 19 lengths back. I think he started his run too early. He made up a ton of ground down the backside and he actually flattened a little down the lane, which I've never seen him do.”

A six-time winner from 15 starts for purse earnings of $823,427, the 5-year-old Mineshaft bay has won at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. But he has made all seven starts this year in two-turn tests, including 1 1/16-mile wins in the Curribot Handicap in March at Sunland Park and the San Diego Handicap (G2) in July at Del Mar.

Señor Buscador rallied from last-of-9 and 11 lengths off the pace to best multiple graded stakes-winner Slow Down Andy by 1 1/4-lengths in the San Diego Handicap and registered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure. He picked up a Grade 1 placing in September at Santa Anita when closing to finish third in the nine-furlong Awesome Again.

And yet, when Señor Buscador won the Grade 3 Ack Ack traveling a one-turn mile last October at Churchill Downs, he tracked from second position just two lengths off the pace after three-quarters in 1:10.08.

“The problem with this horse is he's smarter than people think,” Fincher said. “When you line him up in a one-turn race, he will lay closer even though it's a shorter race. I think he knows the difference. When you line them up at the quarter-pole, he knows he has to go a mile and a quarter and he just drops himself way back.

“It doesn't make sense,” continued Fincher, noting a prominent allowance sprint win last July at Lone Star Park. “I ran him 6 1/2 furlongs on a comeback and he laid right off the lead. I just think he knows the difference.”

Fincher shipped Señor Buscador to New York last Tuesday and said the talented bay has settled in well at Belmont Park, where he breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.90 Saturday over the dirt training track with Junior Alvarado up.

"He's not really the best work horse by himself but it’s been a while since he worked, so I think he was a little bit keen and worked really good," Fincher said.

Fincher said he’s hopeful that Señor Buscador, assigned a field-high 123 pounds from post 3, will prove to be a good match in the afternoon with Alvarado, who guided Cody’s Wish to back-to-back victories in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2022-23.

“Junior was very happy with the work and the horse came back great. He kind of has the same running style as Cody's Wish, so I figure that's a good match,” Fincher said.

Hoist the Gold also arrives from an off-the-board effort at the Breeders’ Cup where he finished sixth in the Sprint.

Trained by Dallas Stewart, the 4-year-old Mineshaft colt left post 3 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the six-furlong sprint as Speed Boat Beach rocketed through splits of 21.99 seconds and 44.35, setting it up for the late kick of Elite Power to win by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:08.34.

“Johnny said he reacted to the dirt hitting him in the face,” Stewart said. “They ran real fast in 8 and change, and you can't slow down in the middle of a race when they run that fast. It's just the way it worked out.”

Hoist the Gold demonstrated a truer representation of his talent one start prior when posting a gutsy score in the six-furlong Phoenix (G2) on Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

Velazquez hustled the dark bay from post 1-of-11 to track from third as Doctor Oscar and Sibelius dueled through a half-mile in 44.83. Hoist the Gold angled three-wide turning for home and staved off the late run of multiple graded stakes-placed Nakatomi, who was subsequently third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, to garner a three-quarter length win. He stopped the clock in 1:09.13 and registered a career-best 101 Beyer.

“We talked about getting in position and Johnny tried hard to get him in front and he couldn't,” Stewart said. “Those two got over on top of him and he was just riding their heels. It was unbelievable that he got him out quickly and in the clear. He's got that three-eighths of a mile run if he can be in the clear, and that's what he did. He got him out and he ran awesome.”

Hoist the Gold has breezed back twice at Churchill since the Breeders’ Cup, including a bullet half-mile Friday solo in 47.20 which Stewart said gives him confidence stretching back out to a one-turn mile.

“Johnny suggested this race. He thinks going a mile will be a little better suited for him,” Stewart said. “He's been breezing sharp and feeling sharp. He's had two good works here.”

Dornoch takes on Remsen off impressive maiden win

Dornoch will attempt to give trainer Danny Gargan a repeat victory in Saturday’s $250,000 Remsen (G2), a nine-furlong route for juveniles.

The Remsen, carded as Race 9, awards the top five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby.

Dornoch arrives from a dominant 6 1/2-length victory at third asking with a gate-to-wire performance on Oct. 14 at Keeneland, garnering an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. His graduation came on the heels of a close runner-up effort to Noted in the one-mile Sapling in August at Monmouth Park where he raced wide and was jostled near the seven-eighths mark.

"Last time, he broke good and was up there,” said Gargan, who saddled last year’s winner Dubyuhnell. “He still goofed off at the end of the race. When he gets by himself, he plays around. He's real professional when he's with other horses. He looked around a little bit and didn't switch (leads) as fast because he's playing around. But it was a big performance and he ran fast.”

Since his maiden score, Dornoch has worked four times over the Belmont Park main track, including half-mile effort Saturday in 49.43 seconds.

Gargan added he expects Dornoch to relish a stretch-out after his strong showing at Keeneland.

"It's a short wire there at a mile and sixteenth and he galloped out all the way back around. He galloped way out that day,” Gargan said. “I don't think it (the distance) will be any problem at all. He's a big horse."

Dornoch, a son of Good Magic, is a full-brother to this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage and is out of the graded stakes-placed Big Brown mare Puca, who recently sold at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale for $2.9 million while carrying another full-sibling to Mage and Dornoch.

Luis Saez has the call from post 3.

Copper Tax streaks in off five consecutive victories for conditioner Gary Capuano, most recently shipping out of Delaware Park for the first time to capture the six-furlong James F. Lewis III on Nov. 11 at Laurel Park. The son of Copper Bullet was bumped at the start and trailed farther off the pace than he had ever been in his six lifetime outings, but he overcame the challenge to rally late and notch the neck score over Inveigled.

Copper Tax also won the one-mile Rocky Run in dominant wire-to-wire fashion two starts back, crossing the wire 6 3/4 lengths in front over the muddy and sealed going. Both his stakes victories garnered career-best 81 Beyers, and they followed a pair of open-lengths restricted allowance romps at the at the Wilmington oval.

Shimmering Allure seeks 1st graded win in Demoiselle

Shimmering Allure will try to make the grade in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong route for juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct.

The Demoiselle, slated as race 7, offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers.

Shimmering Allure sports a record of 6: 2-2-0 and purse earnings of $189,095 for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Enticed dark bay, a $40,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale purchase, made her first three starts in restricted maiden sprints before stretching out to one mile in September at Churchill Downs and driving clear to a 2 1/4-length score in similar restricted company.

She dove into deeper waters next out in the Alcibiades (G1)  in October at Keeneland, overcoming a slow start to finish fourth when 6 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Candied, who was subsequently third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita.

Shimmering Allure followed by shipping to the Big A for the one-turn mile Tempted on Nov. 5 and rallied stoutly down the lane to score by three lengths over returning rival Vino Rouge. The impressive effort on the cut back to one turn garnered a career-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure.

Shimmering Allure has remained in New York with McPeek’s Belmont Park division, posting a half-mile breeze Sunday in 49.50 seconds over the dirt training track.

“She has been breezing at Belmont, and she’s in a nice routine,” McPeek said. “I like the way her last one set up. She’s been pretty versatile at this point. She’s run shorter, longer and handled two turns. She’s handled just about everything we’ve thrown at her. The Demoiselle, at a mile and an eighth, the pace of the race will be interesting, but she’s clicking away and doing well.”

Junior Alvarado has the call from post 7.

Life Talk garnered a 74 Beyer for her second-out graduation in August traveling one mile out of the Wilson Chute at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Gun Runner bay followed in October with a third-place effort in the Frizette (G1) contested over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct main track. Last out, the $335,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase was an even fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Ringy Dingy arrives from a 6 1/4-length score on Oct. 13 in the one-mile White Clay Creek traveling two turns at Delaware Park.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the Dialed In chestnut was away slowly but advanced along the rail from last of six down the backstretch under Katie Davis. Ringy Dingy continued to save ground through the final turn while waiting for racing room and surged to the lead once straightened away to notch a commanding win.

“Going down the backside she was really last and I thought this was not going to end well,” Gargan said. “But she kicked it in and came home really nicely. I don't know how much she beat that day, but she looked like she'd run all day.”

The $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale purchase was a distant fifth in her July debut at the Spa after breaking poorly and rushing into contention. She graduated at second asking in September traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Belmont at the Big A with Davis aboard for the first time.

Gargan credited Davis with metering out Ringy Dingy’s strong burst of energy by utilizing a stalking trip in her maiden score.

“She has a turn of foot when you ask her. She'll accelerate fast. The key is not using it early," Gargan said. "She's really bred to stretch and you have to sit and wait on that. If you ask her early, she'll go but she won't finish. We're hoping she'll break well and get a decent trip.”

Dr B goes for back-to-back wins in G3 Go for Wand

Dr B will vie to successfully defend her title in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand, a one-mile main track test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Butch Reid Jr., Dr B scored her first graded victory in last year’s Go for Wand in wire-to-wire fashion, drawing off strongly down the stretch to cross the finish line 4 1/4 lengths ahead of post-time favorite Bank Sting. The win, which garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure, followed a pair of runner-up efforts in Parx Racing’s Roamin Rachel and the Pumpkin Pie at Belmont at the Big A.

This year, the 5-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map enters from a fourth in the Parx Dirt Mile when taking on males over sloppy and sealed going on Sept. 23 at Parx. That effort came after making four starts at the graded level this year, including a good runner-up effort to Caramel Swirl in the Vagrancy (G3) in her seasonal debut in May at Belmont Park, and a second-place finish behind 2021 champion 2-Year-old filly Echo Zulu in the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) in July at Saratoga. She has a lifetime record of 21: 5-7-2 with total purse earnings of $473,240.

Reid said he looks forward to Dr B returning to the Big A.

“It’s a funny course and she seems to enjoy it,” Reid said. “We’re going to give her the opportunity. We expect her to show good speed in there and she should be nice and fresh.”

Jose Lezcano has the call from post 2.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out Grade 2 winner Gerrymander as she rounds back into form off a facile score in an off-the-turf running of the Noble Damsel on Oct. 8 when facing a match race against Sunset Louise. The daughter of Into Mischief made easy work of her lone foe and drew clear in the stretch to win by 25 lengths.

The consistent bay was Grade 1-placed as a juvenile when second in the Frizette at Belmont, and went on the win the Mother Goose (G2) last year. This year, she finished a pacesetting third in the Ruffian (G2) in May at Belmont ahead of three close on-the-board finishes in optional-claiming company.

Gerrymander, a $375,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale, breezed a half-mile in 49.77 seconds on Sunday over the Belmont Park training track.

“She breezed quite well, and I think this will be the right distance for her,” Brown said. “The one-turn mile suits her. She’s coming back into form, so she looks good.”

Brown also will saddle Good Sam, who has made three starts this year after a seven-month layoff that followed a successful stakes debut in last year’s one-mile Tempted at Aqueduct.

The daughter of Good Samaritan finished second against elders in second-level optional-claiming company in her first two starts of her sophomore campaign, bested in June at Belmont by graded stakes-winner Midnight Stroll and in July at Saratoga by multiple graded stakes-placed Sterling Silver. She broke through at the same level last out on Oct. 4 when pouncing from off the pace to win by 3 1/2 lengths sprinting seven furlongs.